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‘Progressive’ City Council abuses vulnerable persons—and free speech
Schuster: prepare kids for the long term
East Cambridge Property
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Who needs the city council?
© 2006 by Roy Bercaw
On May 1, 2006 the Cambridge City Council approved an order to fund nine part time research assistants for themselves at $35,000 per year plus benefits. Currently the councillors each earn $54,000 per year plus benefits. This is in addition to the junkets approved by the Manager, and winter vacations to warm climate sister cities.
The City Council costs taxpayers $890,000 per year plus benefits.
The Council can set policy for the city. It can hire and fire the City Manager. The councillors do not have the spine to fire the City Manager, but they dare to give themselves a raise by way of hiring assistants.
The arguments made at the meeting included that the councillors do not have time to do necessary research. They wanted to be able to make the correct decisions independent of the research done by the City Manager's employees. That implied that they couldn't trust the research of the City Manager's employees. What will they do when they find that the Manager misleads them? If history is any guide, they will place their report next to the Manager's on file.
If the Council is unable to control the Manager, what is the purpose of having a City Council? Why not just disband it, and save the taxpayers about $1 million each year? Time is of the essence
Politicians are known for saying one thing and doing another. Some people call it lying. Others call it practical politics, trying to please others and trying to compromise. This is Ken Reeves' third mayoralty. This progressive Democratic mayor is most abusive of his power running meetings. He shows disdain for citizens who come to the City Council meetings to speak. Current City Council rules permit three minutes per speaker. The Council is bound by its own rules to run meetings according to Robert's Rules of Order.
If a councilor suspends the rules the speaker may continue at the pleasure of the chairman of the meeting, usually the mayor. If Reeves likes the person speaking, if he likes the job title of the person speaking, or if he likes what the speaker is saying he will allow him or her to go beyond three minutes. If a person perceives that he or she is being denied equal treatment Chairman Reeves always assures the speaker that the three-minute rule is being enforced equally.
On May 8, 2006 Representative Alice Wolf was the first speaker at the meeting. Elected officials defer to other politicians and allow them to jump the line of speakers. Reeves permitted Wolf to speak for 5 minutes and 6 seconds. She wanted to remind us that as mayor, she was a supporter of the original 1985 sanctuary city resolution.
John Womack spoke for four minutes and 48 seconds. He said he is an historian of Latin America and immigration law. He supported the reaffirmation of the resolution making Cambridge a sanctuary city.
Elliot Mishler spoke for 4 minutes and 28 seconds. He said he is a university professor. He supported the reaffirmation of the resolution making Cambridge a sanctuary city.
Steve Meacham spoke for 5 minutes and 19 seconds without interruption. He vigorously supported the reaffirmation of the resolution making Cambridge a sanctuary city.
When I spoke Reeves stopped me at 3 minutes and 14 seconds. I am not a professor. I am not a politician. I am not a wealthy corporate PR flack.
Ordinary citizen activist Kathy Podgers spoke, and Reeves cut her off after 3 minutes and 11 seconds. When she complained that others had more time than her, Reeves said, "Everybody had the same three minutes."
Immediately after public comment Councilor Marjorie Decker asked for suspension of the rules so she could explain why we need sanctuary cities.
"Poor people are murdered senselessly [in El Salvador]." In the United States they are murdered sensibly?
"Life in Cambodia is dangerous for poor people." In the United States poor people live a life of safety, wealth, comfort and easy access to elected officials. Seldom are poor persons in the United States exploited by wealthy and powerful persons. Decker knows this because she grew up poor like Deval Patrick and Bill Clinton.
Later Councilor Decker took up, in all seriousness, a joking suggestion City Manager Healy had made that the City take the vacant Graham-Parks school building by eminent domain from its own School Committee!